Colin Kaepernick has played his final game as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Kaepernick has decided to forgo the $14.5 million guaranteed on his contract for the 2017 season to become an unrestricted free agent.
Kaepernick’s deal was originally set to run through the 2020 season but will now hit the open market. With a new front office intact run by John Lynch, it’s likely that Kaepernick would have likely been released anyway. Frankly, I’m not sure why he is opting out of the contract because the 49ers would owe his just short of $5 million just to release him which likely would have happened if he didn’t opt out.
Once the move becomes official on March 2nd it’s tough to find a home for Kaepernick. Tony Romo, Tyrod Taylor, and Jimmy Garoppolo are all veteran options that will likely be sought after more than Kaep. It’s safe to say that he might have some gas in the tank. His 16-4 touchdown to interception ratio on a bad team proves who could be a valuable backup somewhere. One thing is clear; Kaepernick won’t get anywhere close to the $14.5 million he would have made in San Francisco.
